Shore Lights

The Barnes & Noble ReviewIn more than 40 books over a 20-year career, Barbara Bretton has captured hearts with her appealing blend of poignant realism and romantic dreams, and Shore Lights continues this winning tradition. As a child, Maddy Bainbridge blamed her mom for her parents' divorce. Once grown, Maddy left their small town on the Jersey Shore to make a new home for herself -- far, far away. Now, jobless after the crash of her dot-com career in Seattle and wounded by a recent breakup, Maddy is desperate to offer her young daughter stability and family -- even if it means returning home to work at her mother's upscale bed-and-breakfast. When Maddy meets single dad Aidan O'Malley in a bidding war over an antique samovar on an online auction site, the attraction is immediate. Unfortunately, while Maddy needs this "enchanted lamp" to brighten her daughter's Christmas, Aidan's teenage daughter wants it to replace something her ailing great grandmother treasured long ago. The ensuing dispute results in a delightfully romantic homecoming. Sue Stone